Keys and Locks
by Cracked Plastic Crown
Summary: My idea of the follow-on from the game. Focuses on Riku for the moment. He's lost in a called Nowhere and has no clue where to go


A/N: I seem to be starting stories and then starting something new, but don't worry, I am still working on Automated Aeons and Freedom, I just wanna play with a new fanfic that's been brewing inside Muse's head.  Maybe I should kill him so I can get back to continually working on the old stories instead of writing new ones?

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Psycho Girl: -huggles her Keyblade-

Muse: Its…A big key?

Psycho Girl: Used for locking things ^^

Muse: Isn't that what all keys are used for?

Psycho Girl: -noodles and locks Muse's mouth shut- Told you it was for locking things.

Muse: OO; Mprphf!!!

Psycho Girl: ^^ Disclaimer time

I don't own Kingdom Hearts, just as much as I don't own any of the Final Fantasies.  I do own most of the weirdoes found within this story though.  All products related to KH or FF are not of my design and belong to their rightful owners

Muse: --;

Psycho Girl: -still hugging her Keyblade- Don't y'all just love me? ^^

Muse: -shakes his head-

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Keys and Locks 

Chapter I

Standing upon the fallen trunk of a tree, over looking the wide and vast blue crystal ocean, wind playing at bright hair of silken silver.  Blue eyes watched the world from where he stood, lost within a world he had never seen before.  Sighing gently, the male leapt down from his perch and slowly began walking over the sand towards the black shadow that sat alone upon a large rock.  Once close enough, his bright eyes looked up at the figure, then a gloved hand was slowly lifted to gain the dark figure's attention.

"Hey up there!"

Head slowly lifted, pale azure gaze focusing upon the boy below from behind thin rimmed glasses.  Stray strands of silver, pulled by the wind, fell before those same eyes that watched Riku intently, while the rest remained bound within a black ribbon that kept the long silver locks within a ponytail.  Dressed entirely within black, the long ends of his trench coat hanging down over the edge of the stone, large black boots keeping the tall, lithe male upon his perch.  Hands were rested upon bent knees, long, pale ivory fingers intertwined with one another.  Pale lips formed a gentle smile as the male watched the young boy.

"Greetings" came the dark figure's extremely silken voice.  Each word was formed like liquid silk, slipping from his lips in well formed words.

"Yeah, hi.  Can you tell me where I am?"

"Far from home" replied the black knight, wind tugging at silver hair and ribbon that bound the hilt of the large sword that rested upon the male's back.  All that could be seen of the sword was the very tip of the hilt, in which a pure red ruby was set, one that seemed to be nothing more than a glass orb with a heart of pure crimson blood

"Do you know how I can get home then?" Riku asked

"Perhaps I do, but then again, perhaps I don't"

Sighing, Riku turned upon his heel and began walking away "I don't need this, I'll go find someone who talks sense"

Rising from his rocky perch, the tall male, standing at over 6 feet 4, began following the young boy, ends of the black leather trench coat nearly sweeping the sands the pair walked upon.  Thin, pale hand slipped into his pockets as he followed Riku, moving silently through the silver sands.  Turning, Riku looked back at the dark knight, and narrowed his eyes.

"Don't follow me" he said

"I'm not.  We just happen to be going to the same place at the same pace" replied the silken voice.

"Considering I don't know where I'm going, but you do, maybe I should follow you?"

"I thought you were looking for someone who talked sense?  Since you said I don't talk sense, why are you talking to me?"

"Because your following me!"

"Am I?" he asked with a grin now upon his pale lips "Or is it you that is following me?"

"What!?" Riku was fuming at how strange this male seemed, then, raising a brow, he let his blue gaze wander over the dark form "Your not a heartless are you?"

"Kingdom Hearts is locked though, is it not?"

"Heartless could still roam around"

"This world was restored, so no heartless should be here"

"So your not a heartless then?" Riku asked him

Walking up next to the boy, the male looked down at him from behind his glasses "Darkness stirs within every heart, and yours is almost flooded with it.  Maybe you are the heartless?"

"No!  I'm not!  I still have my heart!" Riku shouted at him, clenching his fists tightly as he was accused of being a heartless.

A pale hand was removed from the depths of his pocket, then gently placed upon Riku's shoulder.  Smiling lightly, the ivory toned male nodded lightly as azure gaze watched the young boy.

"Let's keep it that way then.  Our journey is going to be difficult, but you will return to your own world one day"

"Our journey?"

"My name is Knight.  I'm from the first world, when all were connected, before the darkness awoke within the light.  Born in the light that sleeps within the darkness, forged from hopes and dreams, I am the one who will aid the lost"

Confused, Riku watched Knight describe himself, then he nodded slowly "So you'll help me get back to my home?"

"It will be difficult, the walls have been rebuilt, the worlds are separate.  We have much travelling ahead of us.  You'll need your blade"

"My blade?"

Stepping away, Knight began once more walking along the silken sands, leaving footprints in the path he had walked.  Thinking about what the other male had said, Riku trudge along after him, blue gaze staring up at him, wind tugging at each of their silver locks, although Riku's seemed to be less tameable than the dark knight's.  Was he talking of the Keyblade?  Sora destroyed the black blade he had used to unlock hearts, and it was also Sora who still held the other Keyblade.  The black clad male couldn't mean the Keyblade could he?

"What blade am I supposed to need?" he asked, still looking up at him

"The one to fight with" came the luxurious silken reply.

"Yes, but what kind of blade would that be Knight?"

"I would of thought you of all people knew what blade"

"The Keyblade…" Riku mused, mostly to himself

"A Keyblade boy, _a_ Keyblade"

"You mean there's more?  And I'm no boy, I'm Riku!"

"The Forger will tell if you can still carry one"

"The Forger?"

Knight sighed, shaking his head slightly, silver tresses falling before his eyes that looked out on the world from behind his thin-rimmed glasses.  It seemed that taking Riku home wouldn't be as easy as he had first thought.  Ah well, at least it would keep him busy.

"The Forger is one of the few that still survive that can make Keyblades.  Lock-smiths make the key holes, Forgers make the keys to close those locks, or, open them" Knight explained as he slid his hands into the depths of his trench coat pockets "We just call them 'The Forger' since they won't give their names"

"So you've met this specific Forger then before have you?"

"Once or twice"

"What do you mean 'or'?"

Knight shrugged lightly "Maybe, maybe not.  It's hard to tell"

"I still think you don't talk any sense"

Knight chuckled at his statement, and looked down at him "Why talk sense in a mixed up world?"

"What is this world called anyway?"

"The Nowhere"

"What?"

"You heard me the first time"

"I know, I know" Riku explained, raising his hands in defence "But why is it called the Nowhere?"

"Because that's exactly where it is"

"But if it's nowhere, then how come we're here?"

"Who's to say we're anywhere?"

"But we're nowhere!"

"Exactly!"

Riku growled slightly, infuriated at the tall male's words.  Stamping a large boot into the ground, he aimed a punch for the blade-wielding male, only to miss and fall head first straight into the sand.  Knight had dodged his attack extremely well.  No wonder he was called knight.  A thin, pale hand offered itself to help the fallen boy back onto his feet, but he quickly pushed it away and scrambled up on his own.  He didn't want help from the grinning fool that just stood watching him.  Why did he have to move?!

"Too slow" Knight said, arms now folded, a grin upon his pale face.

"Your annoying!" Riku commented, clenching his fists at his side "Can't you answer any of my questions properly?"

"I've answered many of your questions"

"But those were simple!  What about the one where I asked where the Nowhere is?"

"That's an easy one" he replied, grinning "It's nowhere"

"If it's nowhere, how did I get here?"

"It found you"

"What found me?"

"The Nowhere"

"How can a place find me?" he asked, eyes narrowing at the man he was throwing questions at.  He was trying his best not to throw another punch at him

"Those that don't seek the Nowhere, will find it, because it finds you, unless you've been here before, and can remember your way back"

"So you know your way here?"

"I rely on luck getting here" Knight said with a smirk "There's so many ways in and out of this place, once you leave, sometimes, you can never come back"

"But if you rely on luck, aren't you wanting to come here?"

"Each time I come here, it was without my knowing.  I'm usually brought here for a reason"

"And I suppose I'm the reason then Knight?"

"Maybe you are, maybe you aren't"

"So you don't know then?"

"Maybe"

"Knight!" Riku shouted, baring his teeth as he tried not to attempt to hit the male again

"Yes?" night replied, raising a brow as if he'd been asked a question

"Don't look at me like that!"

"Ok" and he turned away to look at where they were headed.

Two sets of tracks were left in the sand as they walked side by side, Riku occasionally being forced into a slight jog to keep up with Knight's extremely long legs.  Even if he complained about the speed the male was walking at, Knight paid him very little attention, made a strange comment, and kept walking at the same speed.  Wind tugged at the ends of his leather trench coat, at the ribbon in his hair, and the one wrapped around the hilt of his blade.  Silver hair fell before his eyes, a pair that were constantly focused forwards.  He never spoke unless Riku spoke to him, or gave him a reason to say anything.  Each time he said something Riku didn't like, and the young boy went to attack him, a quick, well placed step was all that it took to move the tall male from harms reach.  Each action Knight made helped make Riku even more angry.  The silver haired man could barely go through a conversation without saying something confusing.  It was very, very, very annoying.

"So how long till we get there?" Riku asked after they'd been walking for some time.

"Get where?"

"Your supposed to know where your going!"

"Am I?"

"How long till we meet this Forger?"

Knight shrugged gently "Don't know"

"You don't know!?" Riku fumed, fists clenched tight as he trudge behind the tall male, glaring at his back upon which his blade rested. "But your supposed to be taking me there!"

"I never said I was taking you to The Forger"

"But you said that this Forger would know if I could still carry a Keyblade!"

"And they will"

"But when am I going to meet them?"

"When you meet them"

"Your one hell of a confusing idiot, did you know that Knight!?" Riku shouted at his back, wanting so much to run up and punch him, but having tried an ambush from behind before, and failed, Riku forced himself to stop attempting it again.

"Nope, didn't know that" came the silky reply.

"I'm starting to really dislike you"

"Better start to like me again, your stuck with me till you get home"

"Oh great.  I'm lost in the middle of nowhere, with a fool for a guide that has no idea where we are, or where we're going" Riku muttered to himself, although, it was a little louder than if was talking completely to himself.  The chuckle that came from the man infront proved Knight had heard.

"I do know where we are though, Riku, and we are far from the middle of the Nowhere"

"I'm going to explode unless you start talking sense!"

"Riku go boom?"

Knight stopped, and turned around upon his heel, those pale azure eyes looked down at the younger male, as a hand was removed from his pocket to push his glass back up the bridge of his nose.  He pale face hadn't seemed to of lost its grin at all.  Dropping his hand from his face, the black knight gave a gentle poke to Riku's shoulder, who pulled back once he was touched.

"What did you do that for!?" Riku shouted

"To see if you would explode like you said you would"

"It was a figure of speech, Knight!" the youth growled

"Speech has an excellent figure.  I should introduce you to her sometime" Knight replied, seeming to fall into some sort of daydream.

"What!?"

Pulled from his thoughts, Knight looked back upon Riku "I was talking about Speech's figure.  A wonderful woman.  I should introduce you pair sometime.  You'll like her"

"When did the conversation go onto the topic of words being women?"

"Speech isn't just a word Riku, it's also a name, the name of a friend of mine"

"Any friend of yours must be an escaped asylum inmate"

"She's a heartless warrior"

"She's heartless?"

"Oh no, Speech isn't.  She fights them, like I do" 

Riku was amazed at the simple reply he got to his question.  One of the few Knight answered that made sense. "But the heartless can only be destroyed with the Keyblade"

"Say's who?"

"Ansem"

"Liar of Liars eh?"

"What?"

"Ansem.  The Liar of Liars.  He did much lying"

"What?  A straight answer would be nice"

"He wanted to rule the darkness, be the darkness, and keep the darkness and it's power for himself.  So he told lie after lie and kept it to himself, until it finally took over him" came a voice that wasn't Knight's.  

Riku's blue gaze flashed up to the person that had joined them.  A blonde female looked down at him from behind a pair of glasses.  Orange dress was open at the middle, flashing her stomach, while hands rested at her front, fingers playing idly with a long, leather whip.  She held an aura of authority,  and she had a soft smile, unlike Knight almost insane grin.

"Who're you?" Riku asked

"Quistis" she replied, offering Riku her hand

Shaking it, he raised a brow to Knight once she released him, then looked back at the female.

"You knew Ansem?" he asked her

"Only heard and read about him, erm, what's your name?"

"Riku.  And you've never met Ansem then?"

"Nope, never.  Why, have you?"

Sighing, Riku looked down at his feet, locks of silver hair falling forwards to hide his face.  How could he tell this woman that he had been the vessel for Ansem's return?  How could he tell either of them?  Knight would probably make a strange comment, and then this Quistis might even kill him.

"Riku here was Ansem, Quisty" Knight said.

Throwing a glare to the other silver haired male, Riku almost growled.  How did Knight know that he had given himself so willingly to the darkness?

"He was?" she asked, still watching the youth

"Yeah" Knight replied, answering her question as if he hadn't even seen Riku's glare "He's really pouring with the Darkness still.  Reminds me of home"

"That's why your helping him then?" she asked, looking at the black clad male now, both ignoring Riku as if he didn't even exist.

"That, and I think I was asked to.  Well, maybe.  It's hard to tell.  I think so"

Quistis laughed gently at his confusing words.  It was almost as if Knight knew nothing at all, and everything all at once. "Good luck with whatever it is your doing"

"He's supposed to be taking me to The Forger" Riku said, trying to bring himself into their conversation

"Oh, you are, are you Knight?"

"No" replied the tall male.

"But you said!" Riku nearly kicked him, then Quistis turned and knelt down infront of him, folding her whip onto her lap.

"Never go by what Knight says.  His straight answers to questions may be wrong, you have to understand his confusion to fully understand what Knight is saying, and meaning.  He's the one that will aid the lost, but only if they wish for that help.  Then you will begin to understand him."

"So I have to want to understand him?"

Quistis nodded "Sometimes, I still don't understand him.  There is sense in his confusion.  Don't ask things that he can give other answers to.  Ask in a way that he is only able to answer with a straight answer.  That, and become his friend, understand him for what he is"

"Which is?"

"Something very special"

"Which is…?" Riku repeated

"Knight" came Knight's voice, that grin still upon his pale features

"Well, duh!" Riku retorted, folding his arms across his chest.  How many more ways could Knight be annoying?

"You'll find out one day Riku" Quistis said with a smile, then looked up at Knight "Heading into the city?"

"Maybe"

"Mind if I join you?"

"If you want.  You don't have to.  Maybe you should, maybe you shouldn't"

"Thanks"

"What the…?"  Riku stared at the pair, watching Knight start walking off again in the direction they had been going before Quistis had arrived.  The blonde female was standing and smiling at him, then began following Knight herself.  After realising that the pair were walking ahead, Riku trotted up to join them, and bean walking at Quistis' side.  At least she made sense.

"How come you just went along with what you wanted, even when he gave you a weird answer, Quistis?"

"Because Knight only answers in a way he knows.  If he had simply answered 'yes' to my first question, he could of got a different reaction from me.  It is easier to confuse than to tell what is wanted"

"Your almost as confusing as Knight is"

Quistis chuckled. "You'll understand one day Riku"

"So how long is it until we reach this city?"

"As long as it takes" Knight said "If we're going there at all"

"But….?"

Quistis laughed and placed a gentle hand upon Riku's shoulder "Don't worry, and don't get so up tight over the way Knight acts"

"Hmph…"

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Psycho Girl: Wheeeeeeeee!!!

Muse: Yes, the first chapter is over

Psycho Girl: I regret opening your mouth

Muse: Can the readers just leaves happy nice reviews, or she'll lock my mouth again

Psycho Girl: Isn't that an incentive for them not to leave a review?

Muse: --;

Psycho Girl: Review and I'll go Happy Chainsaw style on Muse!


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